Change the date: Wigan star French backs Australia Day push

BY JOHN DAVIDSON

Exclusive: Bevan French has thrown his support for changing the controversial Australia Day celebration away from January 26 to another date each year.

Since 1994 Australia Day has been the official national day of Australia, observed annually, which marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet in Sydney.

But the date of the celebration has become increasingly polarising with January 26 seen as a day of mourning and invasion by Indigenous Australians.

French, a Gomeroi man from Ngoorabul country in NSW, believes the date of the national day should be moved.

“As someone who’s from an Indigenous culture, I think a few people get mixed up that we don’t like Australia Day, the celebration, in general,” the Wigan winger told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads. 

“[But] it’s crazy the date. People grow up and in school learn Australian history, as truthful as it is, the 26th of January is a pretty sad day really for our culture. 

“I think the main message that we as Indigenous people try and get across is that the day in general is great, it’s just the date is probably the wrong one. 

“For me, I stand strongly on that. It’s a good thing now that its been a topic of discussion for quite a few years and more people are starting to understand it and calling for change.

“As long as we keep talking about it and creating a bit more awareness, people look into things. 

“Hopefully I’d like to see it change one day for the benefit of all of Australia.”

Many prominent Australian politicians, athletes and TV personalities have called for the date to be changed.

Yesterday the NRL posted on its social media accounts this message: “The NRL acknowledges that today represents a painful and sorrowful day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Today, we pay tribute to the resilience and the enormous contribution our Aboriginal and Torres Strait brothers and sisters make to our nation and the greatest game for all.”

“It is [insensitive[, it’s crazy,” French said of having Australia Day on January 26. 

“I have a lot of friends that didn’t really understand it at first as well back in Australia. 

“But once you learn history… you don’t really learn it [colonisation] growing up so no one’s really to blame for it. 

“But a lot more people are starting to learn about it now, which is good to see.”

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